An Interview with THE STILE

Written by: Jeremy Edwards | Scale Records

One of the best things as a writer is to meet a band that doesn’t really fit into a genre, a band who you can't pigeon-hole because there's just something a little bit more to them. It’s not just because the band your about to meet has great, unique music. They’re an entire entertainment package created by three extremely vibrant lads from a time other than now. It’s interesting that while these guys exude style, they’re in fact called THE STILE........

THE STILE are a Brisbane-based alt-rock trio made up of William Tulloch on the drums, Jared  Lourigan on guitars and backing vocals as well as  front-man and bassist Nathan Christie

The trio have been together for about 5 years now and have a number of songs out already including and EP called One Last Dance.  

What these guys have somehow done is made it impossible not to like them. From the way they speak to the way they dress, it’s either a very successful gimmick or these guys are just the real deal.

For the record, a ‘Stile’ is a structure or opening that provides people passage over or through a boundary via steps, ladders, or narrow gaps. We didn’t ask them about that, but it’s still interesting.

We caught up with the guys for a discussion about when they’ve been, where they are and we’re they’re headed…

The Interview

To begin with we asked each of the guys to briefly introduce themselves and based on their responses you’ll soon learn why Christie is the front-man. They each spoke briefly about themselves and what has brought them together.

The common theme that being brought up with exposure to a diverse range of music shows, is that there is great value in showing kids music, and making it part of daily life.

There's a lot to be said about a band's appearance on stage. When you take one look at these guys, you can just kind of tell that their music is going to be good. They obviously have a lot of fun in their photo-shoots, evidenced by their recent photo campaign for their new single Feet May Fail  which featuring just their shoes in various locations, an homage to the lack of physical presence in our lives right now.

Christie explains how the guys had been sitting on some music for quite a while, but a moment of clarity and inspiration caused them to put the wheels in motion.

Before we all got sent to our rooms, THE STILE were playing regularly around Brisbane, and shared the stage with some locals mentioned here:

The guys also had some pretty big plans in the works, but they’ve been grounded temporarily for obvious reasons:

It’s difficult to make this next point without nearly sounding condescending, however it’s almost a brave move in this current climate to be releasing music that’s not necessarily commercially traditional. Do bands consider how their music will be received as an influence to their style?

That’s not to say THE STILE hadn’t entertained other images for their act. These guys may well have ended up with a completely different fanbase altogether:

Seeking a particular image should be a discussion bands have. But do you fit in or stand out? Pretty sure we all know the answer to that.

To expand on that, there is also the point of stage presence or what punters ‘expect’ of an act:

There’s a pretty big compliment given here to a Brisbane band who, if you have seen live, you will know they certainly adhere to their own uniqueness:

Let’s talk the present; what are THE STILE up to right now in time? Seems like they actually have a lot going on:

It’s becoming more prevalent, but bands have been forced to find ways to achieve things for themselves right now. THE STILE certainly havent stopped their music production:

The word momentum has certainly been used a lot lately. Either you’re keeping it up or you’re not. Each member of the band took a turn to respond:

We asked the guys now to talk about “their’ Brisbane. What is it they believe Brisbane has to offer to the greater music community?

Along with momentum, another word that seems to be floating around a lot is saturation, it’s a term that can be both good and bad but seems to be viewed as bad by more people. When bands first start out, they are going to want to play around their hometown. So how much is too much?

Perhaps there is a fine line between saturation and success.

Our conversation began to wrap up, so we asked the guys for some advice or thoughts to pass on, either to inspire or motivate other musicians and they all gave great responses:

This was a fun conversation with some great guys who have a bright future. Give their music a spin, check out some of their videos. We’re fairly certain you’ll agree that THE STILE are a band you should keep an ear out for and they’re certainly worth a look if you can catch a live set in the future.

Social Media

Check out THE STILE on Facebook and Instagram

THE STILE on Spotify